Buoy



J. G. HIGH Aug. 16, 1966 BUOY Filed 001;. 30, 1964 [77/8]? for: tfaci'r 6. 2

84/1. Mum/4 .fifforneys United States Patent 3,266,068 BUOY Jack G. High, Winfield, Ill., assignor to MSL Industries, Inc., a corporation of Minnesota Filed Oct. 30, 1964, Ser. No. 407,635 3 Claims. (Cl. 9-8) This invention relates to an improved buoy for boat mooring which may also be used as an anchor.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a rugged dependable floating buoy to which boats may easily be moored.

Another object is to provide a buoy structure molded from plastic.

A further object of the invention is to provide a versatile floating buoy which may be readily converted to an anchor weight by filling the buoy with a substance such as sand or gravel.

Yet another object is to provide a device having an enlarged end which floats on top of the water, and which provides a relatively large bottom when the unit is used as an anchor.

Still another object is to provide a device which has an outwardly projecting perforated flange that may sink into a soft bottom of a body of water to increase the grip when the device is used as an anchor.

The present anchor-buoy not only serves as a useful and versatile tool for the boatman, but its dual purpose aids retailers, distributors and other handlers by simplifying stock control and cutting required inventory.

The invention is illustrated in a preferred embodiment in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the device of the invention when employed as a floating buoy;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the buoy as shown in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal central sectional view of the device in the position it assumes when employed as an anchor.

Referring to the drawings in greater detail, FIG. 1 shows the device used as a floating buoy. The buoy is an integral hollow body, indicated generally at 4, having an end wall 5 and a side wall 6 which tapers toward a small end 7. Thus the orientation of said device when used as a buoy is such that the body normally floats with the end wall 5 uppermost. At the small end there is provided an integral loop 8 to which an anchor line 9 may be secured. An integral outwardly extending flange 10, having a plurality of holes 11, is provided on the body adjacent the end wall.

FIG. 3 shows the invention when used as an anchor. The dual purpose is served by providing a removable plug 12 having threads 13 for screwing into a threaded boss 14 in the end Wall 5, so that the buoy may be filled with sand or gravel to weight it for use as an anchor. The integral loop 8 (used to attach the buoys anchor line 9) may now be used as a means for attaching a boat anchor line 15. The end wall of the anchor is recessed as at 16 in order to provide protection for the plug 12 when the anchor is lying on the floor of a lake or the like. The flange may sink into a soft bottom of a body "ice of water to provide a firmer anchorage; and the holes 11 cause the device to sink into the soft bottom more easily, and also permit soil from the lake bottom to wash out when the anchor is raised.

It can be seen that the generally conical shape of this invention will cause it to automatically float with the larger end up, or have the larger end down when used as an anchor. The plug 12 has a hole 12a, so that the plug provides an eye to which a boat may be moored. If it is desired to use the buoy for mooring more than one boat, other mooring lines may be looped through the holes 11 in the flange 10, which is approximately at the water line when the buoy is floating. The preferred construction of this anchor-buoy embodies a series of conical circumferential steps 17 which provide greater strength and durability.

This anchor-buoy is preferably molded of tough resilient plastic to provide a rugged and reliable device, yet one that is attractive and colorful.

The foregoing detailed description is given for clearness of understanding only and no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom, as modifications will be obvious to those skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. A device affording a buoy that is convertible to an anchor, comprising: an integral hollow body having an end wall of substantial area provided with a recess and a hole in said recess, said body being shaped so that said device floats with said end wall up and when weighted sinks with said end wall down; and an integral plug and eye insertable into the hole in said end wall so that said eye is wholly within said recess, said eye being of sufficient size to accommodate a mooring rope for a boat.

2. The device of claim 1 which includes a peripheral flange adjacent the end Wall which may sink readily into a soft bottom of a body of water when the device is used as an anchor, said flange being provided with holes for accommodating a mooring rope for a boat when the device is used as a buoy.

3. A device affording a buoy that is convertible to an anchor, comprising: an integral hollow body having an end wall of substantial area and shaped so that said device floats with said end wall up and when weighted sinks with said end wall down, said end wall being provided with a hole; an integral plug and eye insertable into the hole to which watercraft may be moored; and an integral loop at the small end of the body to receive an anchor rope.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,921,500 8/1933 Blake 98 2,546,956 3/1951 Yeomans 9-8 2,790,187 4/1957 Marconi 98 3,064,614 11/ 1962 Roberts et al. 114-206 3,066,636 12/1962 Churchman et al. 1l4-206 3,158,127 11/1964 Gallaugher 114206 MILTON BUCHLER, Primary Examiner.

R. G. BESHA, T. MAJOR, Assistant Examiners. 

3. A DEVICE AFFORDING A BUOY THAT IS CONVERTIBLE TO AN ANCHOR, COMPRISING: AN INTEGRAL HOLLOW BODY HAVING AN END WALL OF SUBSTANTIAL AREA AND SHAPED SO THAT SAID DEVICE FLOATS WITH SAID END WALL UP AND WHEN WEIGHTED SINKS WITH SAID END WALL DOWN, SAID END WALL BEING PROVIDED WITH A HOLE; AN INTEGRAL PLUG AND EYE INSERTABLE INTO THE HOLE TO WHICH WATERCRAFT MAY BE MOORED; AND AN INTEGRAL LOOP AT THE SMALL END OF THE BODY TO RECEIVE AN ANCHOR ROPE. 